The Ribbon
by Miazaki-san
Summary: Jakob has always been important to her, and she never fails to tell him so. But, just for once, Kamui would like to show him how much she truly cared for him, even if it was with something as simple as a ribbon.


**A/N: So I am in Fire Emblem: Fates hype right now. I am currently playing Conquest and loving it! In fact, I love it so much I had to write a short fic with my favorite butler. And I will be using the localized names for everyone except the Avatar because I like the name Kamui I ship M!Kamui and F!Kamui with everyone, so I will probably write one shots with all the pairings because that is how deep I am in this. And all my fics will have a mixture of the Japanese and English supports and translations, so there is that. OH, and I will use the default M!Kamui and F!Kamui in my stories.**

 **Anyways, one of my favorite headcanons is that Jakob got his hair ribbon or brooch from Kamui and I did my own interpretation of how they met. And the cover art was an request somjith on tumblr did for me last year. Bless her blog! She is a wonderful artist!**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Good morning, Lady Kamui." Jakob bowed as he entered the 14-year old princess's bedroom, a tray perfectly balanced on his hand. "Did you sleep well?"

"Jakob!" She smiled, immediately sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I slept very well, thanks to you. That lavender oil you bought was so relaxing and I was out before I knew it. Thank you for going through so much trouble for me."

"No trouble at all. Now, time for breakfast." The tray was placed gently on her lap. "I have prepared your favorites: truffle poached eggs, sausage imported from the capital, bread rolls fresh from the market, and black tea with honey. Please enjoy, my lady."

"Wow!" Kamui marveled, her hands clasped together and eyes sparkling at the immaculate spread before her. "You are too good to me, Jakob. Every single meal is a feast **and** beautifully made."

"Anything for you, Lady Kamui." Jakob bowed once more, the gentle smile he only showed her on his face. "Now, after you have eaten, would like a bath? I will draw one for you now, if you wish."

"Hmmm." The young princess tapped her fork against her egg covered cheek, feigning deep thought. "I wish for… **you** **to eat with me**!"

"P-Pardon?" Jakob's eyes widen and his posture faltered for a moment before he quickly composed himself. "Forgive me, Lady Kamui, but it would not be proper for a lowly butler to share a meal with the princess."

"I don't care!" She laughed, scooting over and patting the spot next to her. "We are the same age! And besides, we used to eat together as children, so what is the difference now?"

"But-."

"No buts!" Kamui patted the empty space once again. "Please, Jakob?"

Unable to deny her request, Jakob cleared his throat and gingerly sat next to the princess, his posture stiff as a board.

"C'mon, let's eat!" Kamui split one of the rolls in half and handed the bigger side to Jakob. "Here!"

"Thank you, my lady." Jakob flushed a light pink as he took the offered slice and began eating it. "You are very kind to me."

"Of course, silly." She smiled, taking a gulp of her tea. "You are one of my best friends!"

Jakob's face turned a dark red and he quickly shoved the rest of the roll into his mouth in an attempt to conceal his blush.

"You spoil me, my lady. I'm not worthy of such praise."

"Yes you are." Kamui hummed, watching her butler try to hide his face behind his hair.

The young princess had always felt close to Jakob from the moment he was brought to the North Fortress as a child. He had originally come from nobility, but when his family lost their title, he had been sold to the royal family in an attempt to win the king's favor. As a noble's child, Jakob did not have experience as a butler and made mistakes constantly. The other servants openly mocked him, telling the boy he was "worthless" and that "no one would ever care for him". As the days passed, the boy's heart, which was already cold from his parents' abandonment, became like ice. Harsh and unforgiving.

But, Kamui could see beyond that. She could see how hurt and lonely he actually was. And, Kamui could relate to him since she was also separated from her family and had no one she could talk to. Well, there was Gunter but he wasn't her age. Kamui was aware Jakob did not get along with the other servants, but she didn't understand how horribly he was treated until the day she found him crying in his room.

* * *

One late night, the eight-year old princess had snuck out of her room and tiptoed down the hallway, a large storybook in hand. Gunter had always read a story to her prior to bedtime, but he had failed to show up that night so the little princess set off to find him herself. Though the North Fortress housed only her and a few handfuls of servants, it was still very large and Kamui soon found herself lost.

"Gunter?" Kamui called out, her tiny voice echoing off the walls. "Is anybody there?"

When no one answered, the princess heaved a great sighed and was about to move on when she noticed a light coming from a cracked door at the end of the hall. As she ventured closer, Kamui could make out the sounds of someone crying softly and she peeked through the door crack to see who it was. Through the door crack, she spotted Jakob sitting in the middle of the candle lit room, a broken spear in his hands and tears running down his face. That spear was the same one Kamui had seen him carry during practice. From her bedroom window, she had the perfect view of the practice grounds and had watch Jakob practice with Gunter for hours, marveling at his drive. The young boy always held the weapon like a lifeline, like it was the only thing stable in his life. And now, seeing the weapon snapped in two and the stone faced boy crying, Kamui felt her heart crack and before she knew it, she stepped into the room.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Jakob quickly wiped his face and faced the wall.

"Who is it?" His voice quivered with mock strength.

"It is me, Kamui."

"You shouldn't be here. These are the servants' quarters."

"I heard you crying though," She shuffled her bare feet against the wooden planks. "Are you alright? What happened to your spear?" Kamui crouched next to him and reached towards the damaged weapon, only for Jakob to jerk it out of her grip and shoot a glare at her.

"Didn't you hear me?" His eyes were puffy and she could still see tears in his eyes. "Go away! I'm just a stupid servant, not worth anybody's time! And I don't need your pity, so just leave!"

But, instead of leaving, Kamui tossed her book aside and wrapped her arms around Jakob, causing him to freeze instantly.

"W-What are you…?"

"The other servants broke your spear didn't they?" She tightened her grip, tears prickling at her eyes. "They treat you so horribly, and it's not fair. No one deserves to be treat like that."

"I-I don't need your pity." Jakob's voice was thick with unshed tears, yet he still tried to appear strong.

"I'm not giving you pity." The tears were now flowing down her cheeks and soaking onto his vest.

"…Why are you crying?"

"No one should cry alone." Kamui sat back, seeing Jakob look at her with a shocked expression and gently cupped his face with a shaky smile. "You are very important, Jakob. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

At those words, the dam broke and Jakob collapsed against Kamui, sobbing freely as she held him close.

"I'm sorry for not doing this earlier." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I promise we will be together, Jakob, because you and I….are best friends now."

And Jakob never forgot that night or how Kamui kept her promise, thawing his frozen heart day by day with her unconditional warmth. So he vowed to work hard and become the best butler ever so he could serve Kamui, and only Kamui, for the rest of his life.

And Kamui was eternally grateful for his dedication to her, although she wished she could show him how much she truly appreciated him.

* * *

"Did you enjoy your breakfast, Lady Kamui?" Jakob took the tray off her lap, every single plate and cup licked clean.

"I always do, Jakob. Your cooking has really improved over the years."

"You deserve the best; it is only natural for your butler to have the skills to deliver." He bowed deeply, a lock of silver hair falling in front of his face.

"Your hair is getting so long, Jakob." Kamui gestured to his shoulder length hair. "I'm surprised Gunter hasn't ordered you to get a haircut yet."

"Well, the only person I will take orders from is you." He smiled, sweeping the stray lock behind his ear. "Though I may be due for a trim soon. It is becoming difficult to perform my duties with all this loose hair flowing about."

A lightbulb went off in Kamui's head and she leapt out of bed, nearly tripping over her white nightgown in the process, much to Jakob's horror.

"Lady Kamui! Please be careful!"

"I'm alright!" She scurried over to the vanity and pulled out the pearl comb Xander brought for her during his last visit before patting the stool with a beaming smile. "Take a seat, Jakob!"

"Whatever for?" He asked, doing as she requested anyways.

"I'm going to solve your hair problem!"

"Ah! No, I am deeply touched but this is really more than I deserve!" Jakob tried to stand up, only to be held in place by Kamui's iron grip.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You are very important to me, and I love you! So please, let me take care for you, just this once."

Jakob's face flushed an unhealthy shade of red and all he could do was nod as his heart raced a mile a minute.

Humming one of the many lullabies Camilla sung to her, Kamui ran the comb through her butler's hair, marveling at how silky it was. Her only experience with brushing hair was with Elise and her dolls, so she made sure to be extra careful with the knots and snares like Jakob did when he brushed her only unruly hair every morning. Once she was done, Kamui rummaged through the vanity drawers, looking for something to tie his hair back with. When all she came up with were headbands and pins, Kamui puffed her cheeks in annoyance and racked her brain for an alternative.

Then, another lightbulb went off in her brain.

Slipping the purple ribbon out of her hair, Kamui braided parts of Jakob's hair before pulling it all back into a low ponytail and tying it in place with the ribbon.

"There! All done!" Kamui stepped back with her arms out. "What do you think?"

Jakob stared at his reflection before slowly lifting his right hand to touch the ribbon in his hair.

"Lady Kamui, you..gave me…your ribbon?" He whispered in awe, while Kamui laughed at his expression.

"Of course! I wish I could give you something better, but please accept this for now." Then, she took Jakob's hand in hers before kneeling before him. "Thank you for everything, Jakob. I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart."

"I should be the one thanking you." He held her hands with such care and adoration. "You were the first person to show me kindness, and I am forever in your debt."

Kamui just smiled before reaching up to cup her dear friend's face in her hand, noting how warm his face was.

"I love you, Jakob. Never forget that."

"I never will." He placed his hand over hers, closing his eyes to savor the warmth flooding his body. "My heart belongs to you….and you alone, my lady."

* * *

 **A/N: I like to think they had a pure love as children, and Kamui always struck me as an innocent character so she is not afraid to tell someone she loves them. And her "I love you" is very platonic, though I plan on doing some romance in the future because that butler is thirsty for Kamui, according to his My Room lines. Lololololol.**


End file.
